BRS’ bid for disqualification of turncoat MLAs comes a cropper

Hyderabad: The BRS party leaders who are eager to seek disqualification of party MLAs who defected failed to meet Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar thanks to the Lok Sabha election code in place.

Upset with party MLA Kadiyam Srihari, along with her daughter-- who has been nominated for the Warangal Lok Sabha sear--leaving the party, the leaders wanted their disqualification. Sources said when the leaders tried to meet the Telangana Legislature Secretary, they were told that he can’t meet because of the code.

They are said to have approached the Speaker but failed to meet him. The leaders are ready with proof against Srihari, who was seen joining the Congress with his daughter wearing the tricolor ‘kandua’.

The party has petitioned the Speaker seeking disqualification of Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender.

However, the Speaker had assured to look into the issue. Nagender too joined the Congress recently and was nominated for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. With Nagender refusing to resign as MLA the Congress seems to be contemplating to change his candidature fearing legal hurdles.

A senior BRS leader said the Speaker had to take a decision as per the Anti-Defection Law. He said action against Nagender and Srihari was inevitable within three months as per the judgment of the Supreme Court. ‘It is not proper to join another party after winning from a different party. In the past CM Revanth Reddy had asked people to stone to death the leaders who defect. Revanth had also termed Danam as a ‘beedi seller’; now that he has joined him in the party; is that for selling beedis?” said the leader. He said Nagender can’t escape disqualification.

After the SC judgement there is no situation where the Speaker can delay the decision on a disqualification petition. The SC has given orders to the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly to take a decision on the disqualification of Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde group within three months. Now the Speaker cannot delay or postpone the decision with a time frame being brought into effect.

The day on which Nagender and Srihari wore ‘kandua’, he lost his membership, the leader asserted.